A Study to Assess the Perception towards Positive Ageing among the Early Elderly Subjects Visiting the Outpatient Department in a selected Hospital, Bangalore

Abstract

5.3% of India's overall population is over 65 years old at the present time. 7.2% of the Indian population is predicted to be over 65 by the year 2025. A senior's chance of developing depression and social isolation, both of which have been demonstrated to be silent killers, increases if they feel like a burden to others and believe their lives are less valuable as a result.1 The goal of the study is to evaluate how early elderly participants perceive positive ageing and to ascertain how these early elderly subjects' perceptions of positive ageing relate to baseline factors. The early aged individuals who visited the geriatric outpatient department at SJMCH, Bangalore, were the subjects of a descriptive study to determine how they perceived positive ageing. The Institutional Ethical Committee granted permission after receiving ethical clearance. Based on the inclusion criteria, 100 samples were taken from the SJMCH's outpatient division. The individuals also provided formal, informed consent. The tool, which included demographic information and a structured perceptual attitude questionnaire, was used to gauge how early-elderly individuals visiting the outpatient department at SJMCH, Bangalore, perceived positive ageing. Data were input into the master sheet, and descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. According to the study's findings, 67% of the participants were between the ages of 65 and 70, 58% of them were men, 56% of them lived in urban areas, 55% of them received pensions, 62% were from nuclear families, 48% had more than two children, 56% were housing more than three people, 73% were independent in making decisions, 55% of the participants required assistance with daily activities, 39% had only received a primary education, and 63% were semiskilled. According to the study's findings, 27% of the population had positive ageing, 52% had average positive ageing, and 21% of the population had negative ageing. Early elderly respondents' perceptions of positive ageing did not correlate with any of the baseline factors.